Hay gathering and conditioning rolls



March 14, 1961 s. c. HETH I HAY GATHERING AND CONDITIONING ROLLS Filed March 51, 1958 a W II 1 .entire circumference of the'roll.

2,974,462 HAY GATHERING AND CONDITIONING ROLLS Sherman C. Heth, Chicago, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 31, 1958, S61. No. 725,401

6-Claims. c1. 56-1) This invention relates to hay crushers and more specifically to a novel arrangement and construction of the crushing rolls.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel crusher incorporating a pair of crushing rolls constituted of resilient elastomer material wherein one of the rolls comprises a plurality of fins adapted to attain an aggressive pick-up.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combined pick-up and crushing roll wherein the roll also serves to pitch and fluff the material as it is discharged from the crushing unit. a

These and other objects of the invention become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view partially in section of an ambulatory hay conditioner with a pair of crushing rolls incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the crushing roll arrangement shown in Figure 1, taken approximately in line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of the combination pick-up, crushing and flipping roll.

Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 an ambulatory frame structure 23 mounting the upper and lower crushing rolls 4 and 5. The particular nitc States Patent U i 2,974,462 Patented Mar. 14, 1961 ference of the lower roll. Of course there is no intention to limit the invention to any specific number of flaps and the number chosen is merely for illustrative reasons.

The flaps 16 are preferably made of tire carcass material which is a fiber impregnated rubber or elastomer substance and have inherent rigidity to extend outwardly tangentially of the lower roll and this outward projection is somewhat augmented by the high centrifugal speed of the lower roll 5 which, of course, is considerably smaller than the upper roll. The lower roll is so arranged that it sweeps with the outer edges 23 of its paddles along the ground or rather on the stubble 25 on which the previously cut hay is deposited. The lower roll 5 revolves upwardly and forwardly on its forward side and thence rearwardly and with its paddles is adapted to dig into the swath of hay lifting it upwardly into the nip 10 and it will be seen that as the root end 17 of each paddle enters the nip the paddle begins to deflect against the periphery 20 of the roll and provides a facing therefor against which the crops which are on the upper side 26 of the paddle are crushed by the disks 9. As the paddle emerges into the discharge area 27 rearwardly of the rolls it tends to shed the material not only by gravity but also by centrifugal moment until the outer edge 23 mounting of the rolls is of no consequence'in the present invention, the same having been previously shown in the art and the invention is primarily concerned with a novel arrangement and construction of the rolls to accomplish the purpose as set forth. To this end suflice it to say that the upper roll includes a center shaft 6 with rigid end caps or members 7 and 8 between which are compressed a series of fiber impregnated rubber disks 9 to provide a flexible body structure. The upper roll is disposed preferably, though not necessarily, in vertioal alignment with the lower roll 5 and is pressed thereagainst under sufficient pressure to crush material tially extending flaps 16 which at their root ends 17 are secured as by screws 18 and a retaining bar 19 against the periphery 20 of the shell 12, the screws 18 being It will be r noted that the paddles or flaps 16 extend the full length.

suitably threaded through the .shell as at 21.

of the roll and that collectively the paddles cover the Inasmuch as in the present instance there are only fourshown each would have thewidthwise extent. of -a quarter ofthe circumof the paddle is released from. between the rolls at which time the paddle extends because of the centrifugal force and inherent restorative nature of the material. The paddle flips rearwardly whereupon it throws or slings the crops rearwardly through the discharge area and by throwing it tends to ted or fluff the crops.

Thus a novel structure has been provided wherein the material is pressed between resilient surfaces and at the same time wherein the paddles not only increase the aggressiveness of the lower roll, but also provide an excellent sweeping medium because the roll can be adjusted close to the ground inasmuch as the paddles are deflectable to provide an excellent sweep and also serve to fluff the material upon discharge from the crusher.

It will be understood that either or both of the crushing rolls may be driven and this is amply illustrated in the prior art therefore mere mention is sufficient to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hay crushing device, an ambulatory structure, a pair of crushing rolls disposed in superposed relationship transverse to the direction of movement, each roll comprising a body engaged with the body of the other roll and developing a forwardly open bite therewith and a rear discharge, one of the rolls comprising a plurality of outwardly extending flexible members tangentially attached along one longitudinal edge of the body of said one roll, said members projecting a substantial distance outwardly of the body'and deflectable laterally against the other roll when passing between said rolls and pro-1 viding a hay crushing surface against the other roll and swingable into extended position when exiting from between the rolls for discharging material therefrom, said members extending the length of the rolls, said paddles describing arcs which intersect the periphery of the other roll. 1

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of rolls including an upper and lower roll disposed in crushing engagement with each other and developing a bite for grasping crops entered therein, said lower roll comprising a pluralityof flexible crop-picking fingers extending generally tangentially outwardly from the periphery, said fingers having lengths suflicient to engage'and pick crops in front of said rolls, said fingers deflecting laterally against the periphery of the lower roll upon passing between said rolls and each providing a face opposing exiting from said rolls to discharge the material carried by the fingers, said fingers describing arcs which intersect the periphery of the upper roll.

3. In a crushing device, the combination of a pair of superposed upper and lower rolls, at least one of said rolls comprising a plurality of flexible outwardly extending members, said members folding back against the periphery of the associated roll when said members are passed between said rolls, said members providing a crushing matrix on a lateral side thereof and engaging and crushing the crops against the other roll, said members describing arcs intersecting the periphery of the other roll.

4. In a crushing device of the class described, a pair of crushing rolls engaged in crushing relationship with each other to crops entered therebetween, at least one of said rolls comprising a plurality of flexible cropcngaging paddles extending the length of the roll and each said paddle extending outwardly of the roll tangentially thereof oppositely to the direction of rotation of the roll and engaging with its full lateral extent both of the rolls, said paddles describing arcs substantially intersecting the periphery of the other roll.

5. In a crushing device of the type adapted to directly gather cut crops in the field, an ambulatory support, a pair of upper and lower rolls carried thereby and engaged with each other in crushing relation to crops entered therebetween and developing a crop intake bite therebetween and having a discharge side behind said bite, at least one of said rolls comprising a plurality of flexible crop engaging elements and having lengths for sweeping crops directly ofl the field and disposed tangentially to the roll and connected thereto and extending outwardly of the roll in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the roll and developing an arc intersecting the periphery of the other roll.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of crushing rolls disposed in opposed relation and developing an intake bite and a discharge area, one of said rolls having a plurality of flaps mounted about the periphery thereof and extending tangentially outwardly of the periphery in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the roll and each of said flaps being formed of fiber impregnated elastomer material and said flaps collectively having an extent substantially covering the periphery of the roll and each flap extending from the trailing edge of the preceding flap as respects the direction of rotation of the roll to the leading edge of the succeeding flap, said other roll engaging a side of each flap and laying it against the one roll as said rolls rotate and crushing crops entered in the bite between itself and the flap, said flaps describing arcs intersecting the periphery of the other roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,218 Wright May 28, 1929 1,972,680 Cushman Sept. 4, 1934 2,114,580 Thompson Apr. 19, 1938 2,595,812 Quillen May 6, 1952 

